Realizing Economic Benefits of Meditation – Center for Health Decision Science

CHDS faculty Jagpreet Chhatwal and co-author Rachael Fleurence published Realizing the Economic Potential of Meditation and Mindfulness Practices in Mental Health Care, a commentary that sheds light on meditation as an important but underutilized avenue for reducing healthcare costs and enhancing mental health outcomes.

Mental health disorders represent a significant economic burden in the U.S., costing nearly $282 billion annually. Despite growing clinical evidence supporting meditation and mindfulness practices for effectively managing conditions such as anxiety, depression, and stress, widespread adoption remains limited due to sparse economic evaluation.

The commentary highlights key barriers – including insufficient research funding, variability in methodologies, and lack of standardized outcome measures. To overcome these obstacles, the authors advocate for stronger investment in rigorous, long-term studies, standardized intervention protocols, and the adoption of digital tools to facilitate adherence and data collection. They suggest that elevating meditation and mindfulness from supplementary treatments to mainstream, cost-effective interventions, healthcare expenditures may be significantly reduced, and accessibility of quality mental healthcare may be improved.

Learn more: Read the full article in Value in Health, Realizing the Economic Potential of Meditation and Mindfulness Practices in Mental Health Care